Business Honors Program students in the Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration participate in weekly one-hour seminars conducted by the Business Honors director and core faculty. The sessions feature meetings with outstanding faculty and business leaders and discussions of contemporary business and economic issues.

Those students who complete the two-year program will earn Honors credits for selected C&BA classes and will graduate with Business Honors recognition.

BHP participation is limited to C&BA students who have completed 61 or more semester hours of class work (junior status) and have at least a 3.5 overall GPA.

Departmental honors programs are currently available to outstanding students in biological sciences, chemical engineering, chemistry, civil and environmental engineering, English, geological sciences, history, philosophy, physics, and psychology. The programs offer honors courses and other special opportunities for study in these departments.

Students majoring in one of the biological sciences are eligible for consideration for the honors program in biological sciences after they have completed at least 16 hours in biological sciences with a grade point average of 3.4 in biological sciences and an average of 3.4 overall. Acceptance into the program requires approval of the Honors Program Committee and acceptance of the student by primary advisors and co-advisors. Requirements of the honors program include (a) 4–8 hours of BSC 390 Honors Thesis Research; (b) an acceptable honors thesis; (c) attendance in BSC 407 Honors Seminar in Biological Sciences; (d) taking the advanced portion of the Graduate Record Examination; and (e) maintenance of a 3.4 grade point average in biological sciences courses and a 3.4 overall average. Additional details are available in the office of the Department of Biological Sciences.

The University of Alabama Chemical and Biological Engineering Honors Program was created to offer exceptional students a challenging environment and expose them to real-world problems and solutions. Chemical and biological engineering honors students will gain valuable tools to launch diverse careers in chemical process engineering, product design, biomedical research, microelectronics, technical management, law, and medicine.

Students must be enrolled in chemical and biological engineering and apply to the Chemical and Biological Engineering Honors Program. Students must maintain a UA GPA of 3.3 to remain in the program. See the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering for eligibility requirements and guidelines.

Requirements for the bachelor of science degree with honors in chemistry are (a) completion of course requirements for the BS degree with a major in chemistry; (b) maintenance of a 3.3 grade point average in chemistry courses, with no more than one “C,” and of a 3.0 GPA for all coursework; (c) participation in CH 491, CH 492, CH 493, and CH 494 (honors research seminars and research courses); (d) submission of an acceptable senior thesis based on research conducted under supervision of a chemistry department faculty member; and (e) submission of scores on the Graduate Record Examination or other appropriate examination prior to graduation. Students are invited to apply for admission to the honors program in chemistry on the basis of performance in introductory chemistry courses. Inquire at the Department of Chemistry office for further details.

The Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering offers an undergraduate honors program for students who seek to be challenged by both independent and team projects and receive additional distinction with their undergraduate degrees. This individually tailored program culminates with awarding of a Civil Engineering Honors Certificate and recognition at the Honors Day Ceremony in the student’s senior year. See the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering for program requirements.

Any student with a superior aptitude for and a special interest in literature may apply for admission to the honors program in English. The program includes special classes for EN 205 (EN 215), EN 206 (EN 216), EN 209 (EN 219), and EN 210 (EN 220), and eligibility for the Senior Honors Seminar in Literature (EN 499). English majors who maintain grade point averages of 3.5 in English and 3.3 overall upon successfully completing the program and the honors seminar will be eligible for graduation with “honors in English.”

The honors seminar (EN 499) is designed in consultation with interested students, who are encouraged to suggest topics and course materials that best suit their academic interests. Seminars cover a variety of topics and works. The topic of a recent seminar was “The Idea of the West,” and the course examined works by Homer, Virgil, Swift, Flaubert, Tolstoy, and Charles Johnson.

Requirements for the bachelor of science or bachelor of science in geology degree with honors are (a) completion of the course requirements for the BS or BS in geology degree; (b) maintenance of a 3.3 grade point average in geology courses and a 3.0 grade point average for all coursework; (c) grade of “Pass” in GEO 435 and GEO 436 (honors seminars); (d) 6 hours of GEO 499 Honors Research (graded pass/fail) and presentation of the results in the honors seminar; and (e) submission of an acceptable honors thesis based on research conducted under the supervision of a geological sciences department faculty member. Geology majors are invited to apply for admission to the honors program in geology after completion of 13 hours of geology coursework.

The history honors program is open to history majors who have a 3.0 overall GPA, a 3.3 GPA in history, and at least 12 hours of history courses completed. The program requires 9 hours of honors work, including HY 399 History Honors Colloquium (usually taken in the junior year) and a 6-hour thesis (HY 498 and HY 499) completed (usually in the senior year) under the direction of a tenured or tenure-track member of the department. Graduating with honors in history requires a 3.0 overall GPA, a 3.3 GPA in history, and satisfactory completion of a thesis judged to merit an honors designation.

The honors program in philosophy is designed for the exceptional student, regardless of whether the student intends to do graduate work in philosophy. The program offers the opportunity to pursue a philosophical topic further than the seminar format permits. It also provides recognition for having done a greater proportion of one’s classes at the advanced level and for having sustained outstanding achievement in all cases.

Those who graduate with honors in philosophy must meet the following requirements: (1) complete 36 hours in philosophy; (2) complete at least 18 of those hours at the 300- or 400-level; (3) achieve a grade point average of at least 3.5 in all courses in philosophy and at least 3.3 overall; and (4) write and be examined on a substantial philosophical essay under the direction of a faculty member in the department.

Students wishing to enroll in the program may request consideration for admission from the undergraduate advisor or the department chairman, or they may be invited to enroll.

Requirements for the bachelor of science degree with honors in physics are 1) completion of the course requirements for the BS degree with a major in physics; 2) maintenance of a 3.3 grade point average in physics courses and a 3.0 GPA for all coursework; 3) submission of an acceptable honors thesis based on research conducted under the supervision of a faculty member in physics or astronomy; and 4) participation in the 1-hour senior-level honors physics seminar, PH 490. Students are invited to apply for admission to the honors program in physics on the basis of performance in introductory courses. Inquire at the Department of Physics and Astronomy office for further information.

The psychology department honors program is designed to afford qualified majors the opportunity to participate in activities preparatory for graduate training in psychology. The two-year program is research-oriented and involves interaction with selected faculty and peers in an enriched and accelerated academic environment. Completion of the program is contingent upon submission of an independently conducted research project equivalent in quality to a master’s thesis.

Psychology majors who are in the second semester of their sophomore year with 9 hours of completed coursework in psychology (including PY 101, PY 211, and a 300-level course) may apply for admission to the psychology department honors program. A completed application and interview by the Departmental Honors Committee are required before acceptance. To be accepted a student must have a 3.3 grade point average in psychology coursework and a 3.0 average overall; however, meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.